Upside-down cakes are humble cakes masquerading as fancy desserts thanks to their stunning presentation. They are made up of layers of melted butter, brown sugar and fruit, all covered with a simple cake batter. In the oven the butter, sugar and fruit caramelize to create a beautiful topping once the cake is flipped over. No need for frosting or any other accompaniments for this cake, it has plenty of flavor all on its own.
Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic we all know and love, but this pineapple and zucchini variation will shake things up. The two flavors go together surprisingly well, as evidenced in this top-rated quick bread, and the addition of nuts and cinnamon only makes the cake more irresistible.
To start, pour the melted butter into your cake pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Next, place the pineapples in the pan. With the traditional pineapple upside-down cake design I feel like there’s not enough pineapple, so I prefer instead to place one pineapple ring in the center with half rings fanning out around it. Put a walnut or pecan half in the center of each ring and set the cake pan aside. (If you’re not a fan of nuts in your baked goods, feel free to omit them!)
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg and shredded zucchini.
Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan, on top of the pineapple rings.
Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and center springs back when lightly touched.
At this point the cake won’t look like much, though it will smell absolutely divine! Let it cool and then invert it onto a cake stand, plate or platter to reveal the beautiful design underneath. Upside-down cakes are super forgiving, so don’t fret it some of the pineapple sticks to the pan! Simply scrape it out with a knife and place it back on the cake. No one will ever know.
Ingredients
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1/2cup unsalted butter, melted
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3/4cup packed light or dark brown sugar
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1can (20 oz) pineapple rings
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12walnut or pecan halves
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3/4cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
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2/3cup granulated sugar
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2teaspoons baking powder
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1/2teaspoon baking soda
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1/4teaspoon salt
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1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/2cup buttermilk
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1/4cup vegetable oil
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1egg
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1cup grated zucchini (about 1 small)
Directions
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1Heat oven to 350°F.
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2Pour melted butter in 9-inch round cake pan. Use pastry brush to coat bottom and side of pan with butter. Sprinkle brown sugar in pan. Top with pineapple rings, and place walnuts in centers and between pineapple rings. Set aside.
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3In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In medium bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, egg and zucchini. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Pour batter in pan over pineapple rings.
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4Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
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5Cool 1 hour, then run knife around edge to release cake. Place plate or cake stand upside down on top of cake pan. Turn plate and cake upside down to release cake onto plate, gently tapping on pan, and then lifting it off the cake.
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6Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake, and serve within 5 days.
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